With Open Eyes I Will Kill You
by pumkin0pie0and0cheetos
Summary: When the Kurosaki twins die in a tragic 'accident' they end up in separate places in Soul Society. Throughout the hardships of the Afterlife, they both know this for sure: they are in no way average.


All the world's a stage

And all the men and women merely players:

They have their exits and their entrances;

And one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.

At first, the infant, mewling and puking in the nurse's arms

 _~ As You Like It: Act 2, Scene 7_

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And we will gather together for a better world. One without hardship, malice, and crimes. This world would be paradise, would be heaven, and even the lowest sinners of the world would be able to come; no one will remember their past lives, only the present, only the perfect future that has been created. Rebirth after death, life after loss—a second chance that will allow us for a better tomorrow. And the world will be called the 'Afterlife'.

That is what the world after death is supposed to be like: perfect, happy, peaceful. But it is not. It is hell.

The sun rose for the third time since she's been stuck in this hellhole and only the faintest of memories linger from her previous human life—twin sister, brother and an idiot father. These memories were the only thing that kept her from her soul breaking into a million pieces, shattering in the abyss of absolute nothingness. Out here in this world she was alone, but the fact that it wasn't always like this made her felt better. And this 'better' was as best as it was going to get.

Stumbling over an oversized rock half buried in the dirt, Karin fell on her face. The people around her paid no attention, keeping up with their solemn attitude. They were the only people she's seen so far—there were twenty-three of them in the beginning but as the days passed it only became twelve; where they went, she had no idea— but they have been reluctant to even acknowledge her existence. Hell, they haven't even acknowledged their own existence. It seems like, or at least to Karin, that someone was keeping them hushed on purpose. She's tried to explore outside of this tiny town but to no avail; every time she walks to the edge of the town where the forest begins she's flung back as if there were a magical force field preventing her from going any further. Be it freedom or instant abomination, she didn't know. But she was going to find out.

The first minute she got here she could feel her soul crying out, grieving. And the grieving then morphed into this insatiable hunger than soon became a constant reminder that she was slowly dying from lack of nutrition. Pushing back this undesirable hunger, she took herself off the ground with a determined expression. She was going to escape this town, she was going to find out whatever was in the forest and beyond, she was going to survive, she was going to live. With motivation Karin began to run over to the end of this world, this town, allowing her soul to be calm and gentle. To be transparent. The last of her energy swarmed the front of her body in even bits: her forehead, her chest and stomach, arms, legs. The more she ran the more she felt alive and the more the burning hunger began to disappear. The objects around her began to dissinagrate into the blue light, latching on her body as if it were always supposed to be there. It all felt so natural to her, as if she was born with it, as if she had honed it after all her previous life. And if she did then it paid off; she ran through the magical force field and into the outer world of hell.

But at least she found out how she could make the cravings for food stop: absorb the things around her.

Karin isn't stupid. She'd know that she would have to keep it under the radar in case people caught wind. Based on the people she'd first encountered in the afterlife; she knew it was rare for people to be able to do the things that she just did. Calming her energy down she fell on her knees, exhausted. Knowing very well that she probably shouldn't fall asleep in the middle of a forest she'd never been in, she closed her eyes. One minute wouldn't hurt her, or at least that is what she reasoned with herself.

Yuzu.

The afterlife was wonderful, Yuzu thought as she walked through the Shiba manner. Apparently the Shiba's were family, or that was what her dad had told her. It confused her at first but as time passed she felt at home here. For some odd reason she was able to keep her human memories, from birth until the last breath she took in the world of the living. Since there were no one else in the world of the living, her dad came back here to soul society in Seireitei. Yuzu's dad explained to her that he was from one of the five great families of soul society and something about a soul king, but she didn't really understand that too much so she just nodded her head. Sometimes she wished she was more like Karin in that aspect—all she needed to be told was once and then she remembered it forever. A memory gift, she remembers her mom telling her when she was young. Karin never used it for anything academically, though, just for soccer. God, she loved soccer.

Her expression darkened as she remembered her dad telling her there was nothing left in the world of the living for him. That means Karin had died as well, but where was she? Huffing, she decided to explore the 'original Shiba house' as her dad calls it, the one in Seireitei, to look for some answers. She knew with all of her moving about her older brother Ichigo, his wife Inou, their son Kazui, her dad, or someone else that could tell her some answers would show up. They can feel reiatsu? She didn't know; all of these terms confused her. But she knew that someone would show up.

And she was right.

"Yuzu?"

It was Rukia, her brother's friend.

"Rukia!" For seeing her for the first time in a while, she ran over to the petite woman and gave her a hug. Her raven hair was now passed her hips, violet eyes shining ever so brightly. Rukia quickly returned the hug to the slightly taller female.

"I've missed you so much!" Yuzu cried. But then realization washed through her soul and she froze.

"Yuzu? Are you okay?"

"Where's Karin at? I haven't seen her for the entire week I've been here… She's okay, right? Is she still in the world of the living? Or did she come here?" Yuzu shrunk herself as she noticed she didn't ask about her sister for the entire week she's been here. She was a bad sister.

Rukia smiled, letting go of the girl. She patted Yuzu's back and with a small smile she gently pushed her to follow her. For a long time they were quiet, very quiet. But then Rukia filled in the silence with gentle but harsh words.

"Yuzu, you were a special case. Usually when a human dies they slowly forget all of their memories. They live relatively normal lives here unless they have high spiritual pressure. Then they get recruited into the Shinigami Academy and become shinigamis under the Gotei 13. Your family, however, is different. Your father was a Shinigami, even though he lost his powers to save your mom, he was still a Shinigami at the time. His was 'Soul'. He is a spirit. But your mom, Yuzu, was not a spirit. She was a human. A Quincy. Both races have high spiritual pressure, and to top it off your dad was a captain of one of the Goeti's army."

Yuzu nodded, staying silent as she stared at the gravel underneath them. She got what Rukia was saying for the most part, but… Nobody ever talked about her mom that knew about her. Ichigo would refuse; he feels like he killed her so he believes that he doesn't have a right to talk about her. Her dad wouldn't say anything because he, too, feels like is his fault. Kisuke and Yourichi tell her they don't have a right to say, but Rukia… Rukia was indulging her in her quest of finding out more about her mother.

"My mom… Can you tell me more?"

Rukia smiled as she nodded. "Yes… I never met her personally, but from what I've read and have been told, she was a powerful Quincy. You see, when Quincy's were many and before they were hunted down and killed, your mom was from a clan similar to mine and your's—it was a noble clan. Just from her heritage she was very powerful, but when it came to her, she grew and grew into one of the most powerful Quincy in her clan. Against many of her family member consents, she became the heir to the Kurosaki clan. Her power was amazing. She could gather reiatsu at an alarmingly fast rate, faster than any of the other Quincy's. She used that to make her body incredible strong. No one could pierce her skin when she willed it."

When Rukia sighed, Yuzu asked if she was okay. Rukia nodded and continued the story.

"She fell in love with your father. After that, I am unsure. But I do know that somewhere along the line a hollow infected her soul. Your father gave up his powers to seal it and then they got married and moved to the world of the living."

Yuzu looked confused, knowing there were some parts of the story about her mother being hidden, but it was more than anyone else was willing to share.

"Thank you," Yuzu said softly.

"And your sister," Yuzu jumped at Rukia's words, ashamed she once again forgot about her other half.

"Is unlike your brother or you. Your brother has Shinigami powers, Quincy, and the powers of the hollow from your mother. You have very little spiritual pressure. May I ask something?"

Yuzu stood up straight. "Y-yes!"

"Who was born first, you or your sister?"

Yuzu tilted her head, thinking. She never had someone ask; they always assumed that Karin was the older one. But now, recalling back her memories, she knew that she was born before her sister.

"Me," Yuzu said softly. "Why?"

"By the time your older brother was born, the hollow transferred to Ichigo so your father then repressed the hollow that was inside of him. Then you were born. Then your sister. Somewhere along the line of your conception and the stages of her pregnancy, you had Quincy and Shinigami powers in you. But then you lost your Quincy powers, Shinigami powers lying dormant until the day you died. Karin was able to see the dead while she was alive, like Ichigo. Considering you three are hybrids between a Soul and a human, all three of you should have been able to see the 'ghosts'. Your mother, most likely weakened from fighting the hollow inside her for so long, needed power. Her Quincy powers back. So she stole Karin's and yours. But because Karin was the second one to be born from the two of you, she was inside her mom longer. I assume when she was born she took the rest of your mom's and your powers as a last resort. Twins usually born in the soul society have an extreme spiritual and health difference. The first born gets the majority of the power—Ichigo, for example. And then you get the rest, and then Karin gets the leftovers. She would have been born very sick if she didn't subconsciously steal the Quincy powers. That's why she was so strong."

"If she is so strong, where is she? In the world of the living still?"

Rukia stopped walking, refusing to make eye contact with Yuzu.

"Yuzu, I am so sorry about your loss…"

Karin was gone.

The more she forced herself to remember the past the angrier she became. Her brother was a Shinigami. Her father was one, too. She always knew he could see the ghosts. She saw him twitch slightly whenever one showed up, or when a hollow showed up. He could feel it. He could. And then that dumbass father of hers spilled the beans after her brother had a baby.

'Oh, by the way, we are a family of Shinigami with weird powers.'

Karin snorted at the mockery she made of her father. It was true, her family were not normal. But they are normal, or should be, in the aspect of caring for their family members. If one is missing and lost in soul society wouldn't they be looking for her? Wow, she felt loved right now.

 _But you aren't, though._

The voice shocked Karin, forcing her to jump. Looking around her, she tried to find a reasonable excuse as to why she could hear someone. Maybe it was just the wind…

 _I'm not the wind you stupid girl._

Throughout the years of living with the gift of seeing spirits, Karin honed the skill of ignoring. She was damn proud of that too; it took a lot of work to ignore the supernatural things that always happened around her.

 _You won't be able to ignore me forever. And when you acknowledge me, just once, I will consume the rest of your soul. I will kill you and enjoy as your insides tear apart in between my hands. Your blood will drip on the dirt._

Karin continued to walk through the new town she found yesterday, not worried about the glares she got from the surrounding people. Making sure she had her spiritual pressure all the way down, she continued down her path. She will make a life out of this place with or without her old family. She will live.

When a hand suddenly tugged her shoulder, she held back a wince. This person behind her would either be an ally or an enemy. Something deep inside her begged it to be an enemy so she could see just how much is in a body.

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She that in wisdom never was so frail

To change the cod's head for the salmon's tail

 _~ Iago, Othello, 2.1_

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[end of chapter 1: **Unleashed** ]

/disclaimer; I don't own Bleach


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